Progress Over Perfection
I’m standing at the side of a crowded gym, staring down a 200-pound dumbbell that I have no intention of lifting. Not today. In a moment, I’m going to walk across this floor, place my hands on the cold metal, and go through the motions so everyone there will think, for one little fraction of a second, that I might actually try. And then I won’t even make it half way before I drop it, right in front of everybody. Then I’ll sit on the floor, drink my water, and scroll through Instagram for the next 10 minutes and pretend to be “on break.” Now that isn’t exactly what people call a perfect workout. But here’s the thing: it’s progress. And here’s why it matters more than perfection.
Progress Isn’t Pretty, But It’s Real
Seriously, though: progress is messy. No one ever posts a shot of the half-burnt omelette they cooked while “learning to cook” or an action shot of sitting at their desk for hours, getting nowhere on the new side hustle. What we see is the glossy result: six-pack abs, the announcement of the ideal job, the flawless makeup tutorial. It’s all a lie. Behind every picture-perfect achievement stand a mountain of awkward failures, bad hair days, and really questionable life choices.
Here’s the point:
Progress. Small, tiny, barely noticeable progress. You walked more today than you did yesterday? Progress. You ate one less donut at the office meeting? Progress. You didn’t hurl your alarm clock out the window this morning? That’s not just progress — that’s self-care, my friend.
Say, you want to learn how to do something. Fine. You decide to paint? Great. Well, your first few attempts will look like a toddler’s abstract art project, and that’s fine. But if you expect execution of a masterpiece on the first day, you’re being set up for a world of disappointment and, honestly, probably a lot of pricey art supplies that you’ll never use again. Anyone remember that overpriced canvas collecting dust in the closet? Yeah, we’ve all been there.
The same thing occurs with everything in life. You’re not going to wake up one morning as the overnight sensation because you watched too many motivational TikToks or because you have a shelfful of self-help books on your nightstand. And real progress looks like a toddler learning to walk-lots of stumbling, lots of falling, and the occasional face-plant. It’s not glamorous, but that’s the only way we actually get anywhere.
The Perfection Trap: Spoiler Alert, You’re Never Satisfied
This is a fun little secret: even when you reach “perfection,” you will never be content. Why? Because perfection is trying to capture a rainbow-you will always be a step behind. You could have the “perfect” career, the “perfect” body, and the “perfect” life, and still not be satisfied. There is no room for enjoyment in the pursuit of perfection. You’ll always hold your breath, awaiting the next thing to fix, the next flaw to perfect.
Let’s be honest — has anyone ever actually enjoyed the concept of being perfect? The pressure, the inner judgments, the nagging need to be more than good enough. It’s like signing up for a never-ending cycle of anxiety. What if we could hold up as virtues the messy, the imperfect, the little wins along the way? What if progress, no matter how microscopic, was the goal and we granted ourselves permission to be human?
Progress is Real Life
Going back to that gym scenario: maybe you didn’t lift the 200 pounds today, but you did show up. Tomorrow you’re going to pick up five pounds heavier than you do today and a week from now, you’ll know you’re stronger than that day you started. That’s progress and is very real. Perfection is an illusion. But progress? You can actually measure something, feel it, and be proud of it.
So, the next time you are utterly fixated on getting everything just so, remember: progress over perfection. Life is not a flawless Instagram feed-it’s a series of awkward, stumbling moments that get you where you want to go. And if you ask me, that’s way more satisfying.
